Standard American Yellow Card - Mr Bridge

SALLY BROCK ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
Ihave had many enquiries from
readers asking about the Standard
American system of bidding. I am
assuming that readers want to know
about the most common basic bidding
methods used in American tournaments
today. These are summarised in the
convention card used in many American
events and on the Internet, known as
the ‘Standard American Yellow Card’
(SAYC).
In the outline that follows, text in red
highlights the main differences between
SAYC and Acol.
General approach
• Five-card majors (chunky fourcard-major
openings are allowed
facing a passed partner)
• Open the higher of long suits of
equal length
• Open 1♦ with 4-4 in the minors
BRIDGEBATS
Joan Wright, Lowton, Cheshire
Solution on page 33
Send us your own Bridgebats!
Standard
American
Yellow Card
• Open 1♣ with 3-3 in the minors
• 1NT = 15–17, 2NT = 20–21,
3NT = 25–27
• Strong artificial 2♣ opening
• Weak two-bids in diamonds, hearts
and spades
Bidding after
a 1NT opening
Most of the methods used are familiar
to British readers. 2♣ is Stayman, but
2♣ followed by three of a minor is
natural and forcing, showing slam
interest with at least five cards in the
minor.
2♦ and 2♥ are transfers to hearts and
spades respectively. The transfer is
usually ‘broken’, by a jump to 3♥ or
3♠, with 17 points and four-card
support. A transfer followed by a new
suit is forcing to game.
A2♠ response is the way to play in
three of a minor with a weak hand.
Opener rebids 3♣ and responder either
passes or converts to 3♦.
Three-level responses in a minor are
invitational with six-card suits. Threelevel
responses in a major are natural
slam tries.
A4♣ response is Gerber (as it is over
any 1NT or 2NT bid, including a 1NT
or 2NT rebid). In response 4♦ = 0 or 4,
4♥ = 1 etc. After the response, 5♣ asks
for kings with responses along the same
lines.
After intervention with a double, all
bids described above remain the same,
while after an intervening bid all bids
become natural, with a cue-bid being
game-forcing Stayman.
Page 11
Bidding after a 2NT
(or 3NT) opening
3♣ (or 4♣) is Stayman. 3♦/3♥
(4♦/4♥) are transfers. 4♣ over 2NT is
Gerber.
Bidding after
a 1♥/1♠ opening
A1♠ response to 1♥ is natural, as we
would play.
A 1NT response shows 6–10 points
and is non-forcing (over 1♥ it denies
four spades). Because of the five-card
major, it denies three-card support. The
reason the 1NT response can be slightly
stronger than we play is because you
need to be a little stronger to bid at the
two level, and that is because opener is
likely to rebid 2NT with a balanced
12–14 points. A two-level response in a
new suit shows 11+ points.
A direct simple raise shows 6–10
points with three-card or longer support
(if 10 points were held this would be
with only three-card support). Jump
support is a limit raise, as we play it, but
because of the five-card major may
have only three-card support. A jump to
game shows at least four trumps,
usually a singleton or void, and fewer
than 10 HCP
A jump in a new suit is a force, as we
play it.
The only response that may be
unfamiliar to British readers is the 2NT
response which is game-forcing with at
least four-card support. Over this,
opener should show a singleton (or
void) by bidding it, otherwise show
range by bidding game with a minimum
hand, 3NT with a medium hand (15–17)
and three of the trump suit with a
maximum hand (18+).
Opener’s rebids are standard, much as
we would play.
On the second round, a simple new
suit bid by responder is forcing for one
round (except after a 1NT rebid), while
a responder’s reverse (e.g. 1♥ – 2♦ –
2♥ – 2♠) is forcing to game.
One agreement unfamiliar to British
readers is that jump preference after a
two-level response (e.g. 1♠ – 2♣ – 2♥
– 3♠) is forcing. This follows on from
the five-card major start, for with 10–11
points and three-card support a jump
raise would be made on the first round.
Also, the two-level response, being a
little stronger than the standard British
Continued on page 12

SALLY BROCK ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS continued from page 11
equivalent, promises another bid, so
sequences such as 1♠ – 2♣ – 2♦, or
1♠ – 2♣ – 2♠ are forcing for one
round. But, given that responder should
have an 11-count, he would presumably
want to bid anyway.
Bidding after
a 1♣/1♦ opening
The only time a 1♦ opening will be made
on a three-card suit is with a 4-4-3-2
distribution, therefore the sequence 1♦
– 1♥/1♠ – 1NT guarantees four
diamonds. In general, bidding is as
above. More trumps are needed to raise
minors than majors (four to raise 1♦,
and five to raise 1♣, though one less
trump will do in competition).
Responses of 2NT and 3NT are gameforcing
and balanced, 2NT showing
13–15 and 3NT 16–17. There is no
forcing minor-suit raise.
Bidding after
a 2♣ opening
Responses other than 2♦ are natural,
showing five-card suits and 8 or more
points. 2♦ is either a negative or a
waiting bid with fair values unsuitable
for a positive response.
After a 2NT rebid (22–24), the
bidding is as over an opening 2NT.
After a 2♦ negative, the bidding is
only forcing to three of opener’s major
or four of his minor. A sequence such as
2♣ – 2♦ – 2♥ – 2♠ – 3♥ is nonforcing.
But any new suits bid by
opener are forcing for one round.
Bidding
after a weak
two bid
Weak two bids show a six-card suit of
reasonable quality and 5–11 points.
They may occasionally be made on a
very good five-card suit, or indeed on a
poor seven-card suit unsuitable for
opening at the three level.
All responses other than raises are
forcing (they call this ‘RONF’: Raise
Only Non Force). A 2NT response is
forcing, showing game interest and
implying some sort of fit for opener.
Opener should rebid his suit with a
minimum, show a high-card feature
(ace or king) with a maximum, or with
a maximum without a high-card feature
raise to 3NT and let responder place the
contract.
Slam bidding
Standard Blackwood is used, with a
subsequent 5NT asking for kings. A
jump to 5NT is a grand slam force, in
response to which a bid of seven of the
trump suit shows two top honours and a
bid of six denies two top honours.
Defensive bidding
Overcalls show 8–16 points (double and
then bid the long suit with a stronger
hand). The only forcing response to an
overcall is a cue-bid of opener’s suit; in
response to this the overcaller rebids his
suit with a minimum and makes some
other bid with extra values.
A 1NT overcall shows 15–18 points
and a balanced hand. In response to this
2♣ is Stayman, but all other responses
are natural. A 1NT overcall in the
balancing position shows 10–15.
Jump overcalls are weak, showing
hands that would have opened at that
level and vulnerability.
A jump overcall of 2NT shows 5-5 in
the lower two unbid suits. A cue-bid
when the opponents have bid only one
suit is Michaels (when they have bid
two suits both cue-bids are natural).
Doubles are for take-out over all
opening bids below game. A belowgame
jump response to a take-out
double is non-forcing. The only forcing
Page 12
response to a take-out double is a cuebid.
Competitive bidding
Negative doubles are used against
overcalls up to and including 2♠ and
these promise four cards (at least) in
any unbid major. Otherwise bids show
what they would have shown without
the intervention, i.e. a bid at the two
level shows 11+ points and a five-card
suit. Cue-bidding RHO’s suit (e.g. 1♠ –
2♣ – 3♣) shows the values for game
without clear direction for the moment
(and is often used to show a gameforcing
raise).
After an opposing take-out double, a
simple bid at the one level is forcing, as
without the double, but a new suit at the
two level is non-forcing, showing 6–10
points. 2NT is a limit raise, while jump
raises are pre-emptive. A jump in a new
suit is pre-emptive, like a weak two or
three opening. Redouble shows a hand
of 10 or more points.
So there you have it. In truth, much of
it is the same as we play over here –
gone are the days of game-forcing jump
raises. Many of the differences stem
from the strong no-trump five-card
major base. By opening 1NT in this
country it means we do not have to deal
with balanced hands in the 12–14 range
when we open something else, in the
US it is the 15–17 balanced hands that
are eliminated from other sequences.
Any of you who are thinking of playing
on the internet may find this useful. My
experience is that if I am playing with a
stranger I would rather play his system
than have him trying to play mine!
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